Stuck in the Friend Zone
by orangana
Summary: This had never happened to him before. Not in any shape or form. Everyone always wanted him or wanted to be him. Sometimes both. Today the unthinkable happened. The Great Laxus Dreyar was friend-zoned.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I know I should be posting a chapter for Mending a Rigid Spirit, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone. The last chapter I wrote for Mending sprouted this little seed of silliness that I just couldn't ignore. Leave a review and let me know what you think.**

Laxus smirked slightly as he listened to the sexy blonde rant to Mira about her most recent failed attempt at finding a boyfriend. The latest guy was a friend of Cana's – a fact that should have been a red flag from the beginning – and had come highly recommended by the drunk. Lucy had gone to dinner with him, which he'd refused to pay for because the chosen restaurant was Lucy's idea, not his. The guy didn't even offer to chip in after he ran up a ridiculously high tab with the seemingly endless number of drinks he ordered. By the time they'd left the restaurant, he was drunk and horny. He insisted on walking Lucy back to her apartment and had copped a feel too many times for her to tolerate. She'd slapped him when his hand slipped beneath her skirt to palm a butt cheek but he still persisted, assuming it was some sort of rough, freaky foreplay. The guy didn't leave until Loke came through his gate and scared him off.

The Lightening Dragon Slayer knew the woman he had his sights set on was nearly ready to give up on men entirely after so many horrific experiences. He figured it was time for him to step in and show her what a real man was like before she decided to do the unthinkable and become a lesbian. Not that he had anything against some chick on chick action; he just wanted this woman for himself. Plus, it would be a crime to all mankind if she never experience was a man should be like. Laxus was confident he could show her everything she'd been missing out on. He was, after all, a man in every way one could be considered a man. He was tall, handsome, muscular, powerful, well established and made a decent income. Not to mention great in the sack, though he wouldn't bring that up right away. It was likely she'd already heard about that, anyway.

He didn't bother trying to hide his stare as the long-legged, sexy woman made her way over to his team's table. She looked amazing, as usual, in her white mini skirt and pink barely-there-top that looked ready to burst from the weight of her massive tits. His attention was stolen away from her cleavage by her toned legs and the hint of ass peeking from beneath the hem of her skirt as she climbed into the bench between Bickslow and Freed. It wasn't unusual for her to sit with them when her teammates were out doing whatever they did when they weren't at the guild. Every member of the Thunder God Tribe was friends with the woman. Their acceptance of her was one of the many reasons why she'd make a great addition to the team once she was his woman.

When she greeted him from her spot across the table, Laxus simply nodded in return, not feeling the need to start a conversation. He noticed how her eyes lingered a second too long on his face and dropped down to his partially opened shirt before turning her attention to the Rune Mage. It didn't take a genius of Freed's caliber to know there was attraction between them. Why wouldn't there be? She was the epitome of sexy by female standards, much like he was according to male standards. They'd make an amazing couple. Now that she was available again, he'd just have to reel her in.

Laxus' thoughts were interrupted by Bickslow leaning forward and whispering, "If you stare much harder, she might end up pregnant."

"Fuck off." The blue haired man's tongue lolling out of his mouth and his 'babies' twirling around in the air was his only response. Thankfully, Lucy hadn't heard his whispering from her spot next to him. She was too busy talking to Freed about a book they'd both read. They seemed to have some sort of mini book club going with the two of them and Levy. Laxus did his best to tune out those conversations, so he wasn't really sure of the details.

A few songs played through on his Sound Pod before he started paying attention to what the group around him was saying. It sounded like the topic of Lucy's dating life, or lack thereof, had come up again.

"You can hang out with me tonight. I've heard that new club downtown is pretty good." Bickslow said with his head leaning against his hand, elbow rested on the table and turned to sit sideways facing Lucy. Laxus couldn't read minds, but he knew his teammates. The Seith Mage was trying to irritate him.

The way her smile brightened irritated Laxus almost as much as the answer she gave. "Yeah, we should! I haven't gone yet! But I'm not being your wingman this time. You'll have to be mine." She put emphasis on the last part by poking Bickslow in the chest. The contact made Laxus narrow his eyes in jealousy. He couldn't remember a time Lucy had ever playfully touched him.

Tongue wagging away, the blue haired man said, "Alright, but if you don't get lucky, you can always come home with me."

"We'll see." Lucy answered laughingly while rolling her eyes and playfully slapping his leg. Those two were getting way too comfortable for Laxus' liking. Why the hell hadn't she just said no? "Besides, we both know you're hunting for good dick as much as I am."

Laxus nearly choked on his spit when he heard those words. Clearly, she wasn't looking in the right places. There was a good dick about two feet away from her right between his legs. He tried to think of something to say to stop this conversation before it got too far, but Bickslow beat him to it. "Well, yeah, good dick is hard to find but I also love a tight, wet pussy."

Lucy blushed and slapped his leg harder than before as she hissed, "Shut up! I never should have told you about that!"

Told him about what? And she still hadn't turned down the Seith Mage. What the hell was going on with them? He knew for a fact the two of them had never slept together, much less been interested in more than harmless flirting. Their scents would have given it away. Laxus' irritation with his teammate was building quickly, which didn't go unnoticed by Bickslow. Sensing the danger growing from across the table, the blue haired man dropped the flirting and decided to help out his leader. "Seriously, though. We could go tonight. Maybe we could get the whole team out to do something."

Freed piped up saying, "Unfortunately, I will not be a part of this outing. I've already made arrangements to study a foreign script with Levy this evening."

"Aw, Freed! You never go out with us." Lucy pouted.

With a sigh, he answered, "That's not entirely true. I went with the two of you and Evergreen to the bathhouse ten days ago." When the hell had they done that?! Laxus was in town ten days ago and definitely would have gone to a bathhouse with all of them if Lucy was going.

"Oh yeah, you're right." Lucy said with a small huff. "Since Ever is out with Elfman on a weekend getaway that she swears is a job request, I guess it will just be the two of us, Bixyboo."

"What about me? I thought the whole team was invited." Laxus interjected before Bickslow could make another ridiculous comment that might drive him to seriously harm or murder the man.

Lucy's gaze met Laxus' with more surprise showing than he expected. She didn't think he'd go out with them? The disbelief in her voice confirmed that thought. "You actually want to do something fun with us?"

With a shrug, he answered, "Yeah, why not."

"I just didn't think you'd want to. You've never gone out with us before."

"You never asked."

Lucy didn't answer right away, wondering if that was true. While they'd never invited Laxus specifically, many of the things she did with the Thunder God Tribe were open to whoever wanted to go. Maybe he felt obligated to go tonight as a sort of team bonding thing. "You really don't have to go with us. It's ok."

Before he had a chance to say anything else, Lucy turned back to Bickslow and started planning their evening. After a short debate, they agreed Bickslow would grab take out and bring it to her place at 7. Lucy told him what to wear – why the hell did she even know what clothes Bickslow owned? – and he would help her pick an outfit – what the fuck was it with them and clothes? – and have a few shots, then go to the club after she was ready. Clearly, this plan was only for two people and Laxus was not one of them. A golden opportunity had presented itself but slipped away before he even had a chance to act on it.

Sensing his oldest friend's growing distress, Bickslow tried to help him out one more time. The Seith Mage knew how much Laxus wanted to hook up with Cosplayer and was really only teasing about sleeping with her. Mostly. He wasn't sure if he'd pass up the chance if she was really down for that. He told Lucy, "Maybe Laxus should go with us. At least then there'd be someone around in case we get wasted and forget how to get back to your place like that one time."

Laughing loudly, Lucy said, "I forgot about that! We were so lucky the Rune Knights didn't pick us up for sleeping in the park. Do you even remember how we got there?"

"Nope, but I do remember the hangover I had the next morning." Bickslow answered, joining in with Lucy's laughter.

Laxus felt it was a good time to jump into the conversation before it veered off again. "I'll go."

Lucy placed a hand on her chest and smiled while making a cooing sound Laxus had never heard direct at him or anyone else over the age of three. "Aw, you're so sweet. You're really a good friend, Laxus."

The world seemed to stop spinning for a moment and all the noises around him fell away. Did she just say he was a good friend? A good fucking friend? She even called him sweet. What the hell?!

He wasn't sure what else was said between the other two before Lucy stood up and walked away. His senses seemed to still be dulled by the harsh blow he'd just taken to his pride. Never in his life had any woman ever referred to him as a 'good friend'. That term was reserved for gay dudes and losers that were pushed into the friend-zone. The idea made the man suck in a sharp breath and his eyes go wide with realization. Was he in the friend-zone?

In tune with his friend's trail of thought, Bickslow couldn't help but snicker a little. The look of horror on Laxus' face made it hard for him to contain his laughter, but fear of dying by electrocution kept him in check. Unable to resist a small bit of teasing, Bickslow stood up so he could make a quick escape, knowing his next words would piss off the other man. Standing with his hands leaned against the table and his tongue hanging from his mouth, he whispered, "Don't worry, boss. I'll put in a good word for you."

The shock Bickslow felt coursing through his body as he ran from the guildhall was worth it.

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! Should this become a full story or remain a silly one-shot? I have a few ideas on how to continue this if anyone is interested in it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm so grateful for all the feedback on the first chapter of this story! You've all made me decide to turn this into a short story. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Special thanks to MrsPuppetEx for her encouragement. I wrote the first chapter as more of a joke and a way to just dump the idea from my brain but she helped me work out my thoughts to get this turned into an actual story.**

 **The rate is going up to T because angry Laxus has a potty mouth. Lots of language in this one.**

 **Please continue to review! Hearing from the readers is REALLY encouraging.**

An unusually high amount of static electricity in the guildhall had many of the Fairy Tail mages snatching up simple job requests just to have an excuse to flee the building. No one could touch the anything metal without being jolted. The metal legs of the bar stools made everyone wary of coming over to order something from the barmaid. It was the first morning for as long as Mira could remember that no one was drinking and were instead actually working. She briefly considered asking Laxus to charge up the guild more often just to keep the request board cleared out, but dismissed the idea as soon as Gajeel walked through the doors.

The unsuspecting dragon slayer was immediately shocked in a very brutal fashion when all the buildup was drawn to his metal covered body. His entire frame locked up as he lit up like a Christmas tree, then seized violently for several seconds. When he finally stopped convulsing, his already wild mane of hair was sticking out in several directions and his skin looked a little charred. A few seconds passed as he waited for his mind to unscramble enough to figure out what happened. Red eyes scanned the room to find a very angry Lightning Dragon Slayer in the back of the room. Pissed to have been attacked without provocation, he stormed towards the blonde slayer and shouted, "What the fuck, Lightning Freak?"

"Fuck off, Metal Head. I'm not in the mood." Laxus growled out without even looking at the other man.

When Gajeel reached Laxus, he slammed his palms on the table and leaned forward menacingly. "I don't give a rat's ass what kinda mood yer in. That was a pussy move attackin' me like that. You wanna fight me then be a man about it. I'll kick your ass anytime you want, as long as you ask nicely."

Eyes narrowed, Laxus considered taking out his frustrations on the man in front of him. Pissed off like he was, Gajeel would be able to stick with him blow for blow. It'd be the best fight he'd had in awhile.

An obnoxious voice speaking followed by a feminine giggle interrupted the silence in the guild and distracted both dragon slayers, drawing their attention to the guildhall's entrance. Bicklow and Lucy walked through the doors arm in arm, laughing as if there wasn't a care in the world. Neither noticed the tension in the room or the two dragon slayers preparing to throw down. They were too wrapped up in whispering quietly about something they were trying to keep to themselves.

The pair made it over to the bar and climbed onto barstools to order a late breakfast. Lucy let out a loud yelp when her leg came in contact with the metal leg of her stool. "What the heck?"

Bickslow laughed at her until he was also shocked by his own barstool. Knowing the most likely cause, the blue haired man turned to look back at his team leader and ignored the signs of looming danger as he said tauntingly, "Having a bad morning, man?"

Laxus didn't respond but his body language said enough. Bickslow knew the boss man was pissed about something but wrongly assumed it had to do the other dragon slayer in front of him. Turning back to his sexy companion, Bickslow leaned towards her and continued picking on her about the creepy old man that had offered to be her sugar daddy the night before.

Over in the danger zone, Gajeel hadn't missed the exchange between the teammates or any of the other subtle clues to what was really wrong with Laxus. Turning back to the other man, he smirked and then chuckled in his strange way before saying, "Now I see what your problem is. Feelin' a little jealous that Bunny Girl doesn't want you as much as she wants the pervert?"

Ignoring everything Gajeel just said, Laxus said, "I told you to fuck off. Why the hell are you still here?"

Gajeel sat down across from the angry man and decided he'd get his payback in a much sweeter way than punching the asshole with an iron fist. Payback's a bitch. "This looks like a nice table and I can sit wherever the hell I want to sit."

"Whatever. Just shut up and sit still." Done with the conversation, Laxus leaned back in his seat and focused on the two mages at the bar to listen in on what they were saying. He'd never admit to Gajeel how right he'd been. Lucy and Bickslow, the fucking traitor, had gone out again last night. It was the second time in a week. The first time had been the night Lucy called Laxus a 'good friend', whatever the fuck that meant, but was completely centered on the two of them finding someone for the woman to hook up with. Laxus had been relieved the next day when Lucy came into the guild without the smell of anyone else on her skin.

Their second outing had the dragon slayer pissed and jealous. The two had been flirting more openly for several days. They even decided to go back to the same club since they enjoyed it so damn much last time. It wouldn't have pissed him off as much if the two had been planning the same bullshit as before, but this time was different. They planned to go out together. Just the two of them. At a fucking club. Drinking. And dancing. Fucking perverted ass Bickslow could dance better than anyone Laxus had ever met, so he knew his so-called friend would be on the dance floor grinding away with the busty blonde.

To top it all off, Laxus knew Bickslow never came home last night. How could he not know? They lived in the same damn house. He'd come to the guild early to wait for his teammate to show up so he could grill him about the previous night. The minutes ticked by slowly, turning into hours until it was after eleven when they walked in. Now, there they were looking all chummy and giggling over some stupid story Bickslow was telling Mira about an old geezer proposing to Lucy.

Gajeel's ridiculous laughter pulled Laxus attention back to him. "This is fuckin' golden. I gotta tell Shrimp. You got it bad, man."

Laxus glared at the dark haired man as he walked away but didn't say a word in response, didn't even shock him again. It was fucked up how right he was. Laxus did have it bad but didn't know what the hell to do about it. Never in his life had he not been able to get the girl he wanted. Where did he even start when trying to win someone over? More giggles from Lucy made him listen into their conversation again, wondering what he'd missed.

"Oh my stars! Mira! It's not like that between us at all!" Lucy blushed brightly at whatever the barmaid had just said. Bickslows tongue wagging made Laxus more uncomfortable. Whatever the man said would probably piss him off more.

"I don't know, Cosplayer. We'd probably make some cute babies. They'd have your good looks and my awesome hair. We might even have a blonde one with my red eyes." Yep, that pissed him off more. It didn't matter that he could tell the two of them hadn't slept together. Just the idea of it made him want to fry the Seith Mage.

Mira squealed in delight while spinning in a circle a few times before stopping and leaning against the bar with a dreamy look on her face. "This is wonderful! You can have a spring wedding with blue and gold for the colors! Oh! And Bickslow's babies could be part of the ceremony. The least wild one could be the ring bearer and a couple of them could spread flowers…"

While the barmaid became lost in a fantasy, Lucy half-heartedly glared at Bickslow and said sarcastically, "Thanks for that. She won't let it go for weeks."

"You're probably right." He laughed and bumped her shoulder with his as he leaned closer to say, "You gotta admit I'm a pretty good backup plan, though."

What the hell did that mean? The last statement threw Laxus for a loop. What kind of backup plan was he talking about?

Lucy rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, yeah, Bixyboo. You're definitely a better option than the old man."

What old man? The guy that offered to marry Lucy? Just the possibility of something developing between Lucy and Bickslow had electricity building up around Laxus again. No fucking way was he letting this conversation go any further. He stood up quickly, nearly knocking his chair to the ground in his haste to stand. In fewer steps than it normally took, he made it over to the request board and ripped off the first S Class job he found. As he made his way to the bar, Laxus shouted, "Bickslow, Ever, Freed we're leaving."

Bickslow turned away from the plate of pancakes Mira had just delivered and looked at Laxus over the top of Lucy's head, "Can you wait a minute? Maybe ten? I just got my food."

"Not my problem. Should of gotten here earlier."

As she approved the request, Mira said, "I can box it up for you, Bickslow. It wouldn't do to have you go out on a difficult job like this one on an empty stomach." The last bit was said in a deceptively sweet voice as she glared at Laxus.

Rolling his eyes at the barmaid's meddling, Laxus said, "Alright. We can wait long enough for that, but then we're leaving."

"Hey, Energizer." Lucy said in greeting to the man now standing next to her. Laxus nodded in greeting, ignoring the name Lucy had given him a few days ago. Fucking Energizer. He wasn't a damn battery, even if he could power an SE vehicle indefinitely. Her sweet voice pulled him from his frustration when she asked, "So, when are you gonna go out with me and Bixyboo?"

He looked at her with a raised brow, unaware he'd ever been invited. "I didn't know you and _Bixyboo_ ," he said the name as sarcastically as possible, "wanted my company. Or any company for that matter."

Not expecting her to have heard the last part, he was surprised when she leaned against his arm, hugging is to her chest and batted her eyelashes as she said teasingly, "Aw, what's the matter, Energizer? Are you mad at us for not inviting you out last night?"

Laxus only grunted in response. He was not going to admit she'd hit the nail on the head. Bickslow's laughter made him turned to glare at the blue haired man. Lucy continued, "Bixy told me you never go out anywhere except to bars to pick up women. I figured maybe you needed us to help you branch out a little and teach you how to have some fun."

Still glaring at the snickering man, Laxus said, " _Bixy_ should keep his damn mouth shut. And I don't need any help having fun."

He immediately missed the feeling of Lucy on his arm when she sat upright and shrugged her shoulders. Her tone was completely back to normal when she said, "Whatever. Your loss. If you change your mind, let me know and we can go do something."

Unable to help himself, Bickslow put his arm around Lucy to pull her back into his side. It was just too easy to get on Laxus' nerves when it came to the blonde. "Don't worry about it, Cosplayer. Our fearless leader has an electrified stick up his ass that makes it hard for him to be nice to anyone. I'll go out with you and Cana when we get back. Maybe we can track down your new fiancée and convince him to pay off our tab again."

Lucy giggled and kissed Bickslow's cheek. It was an innocent gesture on her part but it made Laxus' blood boil. "That will be fun. Maybe we can make it a group thing. Loke wants to hang out with us and Levy has been trying to find a reason to drag Gajeel out to do something."

It took less than a second for Laxus to realize the fucking lion was trying to move in on his territory, too. If Loke went, the group would consist of three males and three females. It was common knowledge Gajeel and Levy were an item, even if they didn't admit it. Bickslow and Cana had an on and off friends with benefits thing going, so they'd probably end up together that night. That left Loke with Lucy. Not fucking happening. Laxus was already dealing with his annoying teammate hitting on the woman he wanted. He wasn't about to just sit back and give her spirit the perfect opportunity to do the same.

"I'll go."

His gruffly spoken words drew Lucy's attention. She hadn't expected him to actually want to go out with them. Everybody knew Laxus wasn't into hanging out with people. Maybe he wanted to hook up with Cana or something. She looked up at the hulking man and smiled as she said, "Ok! This could be fun. I'll talk to everyone and see about doing something this weekend. You think your team will be back by then?"

Looking down at the flyer on the counter and actually reading it for the first time, he realized they definitely would not be back in time. The travel time alone would have them out at least a week. The railway didn't run all the way to Shirotsume, so they'd have to walk the last several miles of the journey. As he read a little further, he realized he may have accidentally picked the perfect job request to help him out with his little friend-zone issue.

"We won't be back for at least a week." He heard her disappointed sigh and mentally patted himself on the back. This would be perfect. "Ya know, it might be good if you came with us on this job."

"Huh?" Both Bickslow and Lucy said in unison with a shared look of confusion. Laxus never wanted anyone else to go on jobs with their team. Everyone annoyed him. Bickslow figured the boss man was getting desperate and this was his attempt at spending time with Cosplayer. This could become very interesting.

"The details say a stardust covered beast has been tearing up the forest and making excessive noise in the mountains outside Shirotsume. Sounds like some Celestial Mage shit to me."

Lucy nodded her head and considered Laxus' offer. It could be fun to work with the Thunder God Tribe, plus the S Class pay would be awesome. Without her destructive partner around, she might get to keep all her reward money. And Laxus was right, it did sound like something Celestial. Hopefully the spirits weren't becoming out of control again. Excited at the idea, Lucy grinned up at Laxus and said, "Sounds great! I'll go get my stuff packed real quick and meet you at the train station. Don't tell my teammates I'm leaving, though. They'll never let me go with you guys alone."

Hope blossomed in the Lightening Dragon Slayers chest for the first time all week. Maybe he could ditch this friend-zone bullshit and catch Blondie's interest. His short-lived optimism crashed and burned as soon as he heard a very annoying voice at the guild's entrance. Laxus luck was never good, so it was only par the course for the two idiots to walk in at the worst possible time.

"Where would we not let you go, Luce?" Natsu shouted, which prompted Gray to join the questioning. "Yeah. Where ya goin'?"

With a huff, she hung her head and said, "Crap. Now they'll want to come with us."

Of course, Natsu heard what she muttered and demanded to know more details. Being the pushover she was, Lucy told him all about the mission and what she assumed was a Celestial Beast that needed to be sent back to its own world. The prospect of a good fight and the fear of Lucy going out on a job alone – the Thunder God Tribe didn't count because he wasn't a part of that team – had Natsu insisting on joining the group on the mission. His insistence led to Gray demanding to be included, which meant Erza would be coming along as well. The red head had walked over at the end of the conversation and agreed to help on job without even knowing the details. If her team was going, she was going.

Laxus let his head fall back and stared at the ceiling while contemplating the disastrous outcome of taking the entirety of Team Natsu on a mission with his team. It would be horrible. They'd ruin everything he planned and probably also ruin the forest. But maybe he'd still get a chance to talk to Lucy and get her to see he was interested in her as more than just a guildmate.

With a groan, he said, "Fuck it. We'll all go. Anyone not at the train station in an hour will be left behind."

As Laxus exited the building, Bickslow jogged to catch up to him and laughed through the pain of being shocked after he said, "Looks like things just aren't going your way."

The Seith Mage knew he might die of lightning overload one day, but it would be worth it to tease Laxus until the end.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everybody! This one shot turned short story is coming along well! Thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter. You guys keep me writing.**

 **FYI for anyone that thinks I'm crazy after reading this - Some of the celestial magic stuff at the end of the chapter is completely made up.**

 **Please expect and excuse errors. This just got a quick once over, so I'm sure there are still some errors in there.**

 **Leave a review and let me know what you think!**

When the hour deadline Laxus set for arriving at the train station was up, the only person missing from the two team group was Lucy. The one person Laxus wanted to make sure was included on the job hadn't made it on time. Why was she the only person not intimidated by him? Maybe she didn't take him seriously. Maybe she didn't believe he could back up his reputation, so didn't respect him enough to see him as anything more than a guildmate. The thought just pissed Laxus off more and had his mind wondering stupid things like why she wouldn't think he was as tough as people said he was. With each passing second, the dragon slayer's thoughts became more irrational and his frustration increased. Natsu's fidgeting wasn't helping, either.

"Where the hell is Luce?" The pink haired man whined. "I'm ready to get this train ride over with." Just thinking about the trip made his motion sickness kick in.

Noticing the other slayer's sudden nausea, Laxus said, "If you're about to puke, go do it somewhere else. I don't wanna smell that shit."

The sound of running feet slapping the cobblestones drew the group's attention to the road behind them. Lucy was nearly to the platform when the train attendant announced boarding could begin. When she made it to the group, Lucy said breathlessly, "Sorry for being late, guys. Plue started crying because he thought I'd be replacing him with a new pet on this job, so I had to get him to calm down before I sent him back."

Laxus just shook his head at the explanation and boarded the train ahead of everyone else. What a dumb reason for being late. He wondered why the weird looking spirit would think she'd be getting a new pet, but was saved from asking when Bickslow spoke up first.

"Why'd he think that, Cosplayer?" Bickslow asked as he sat down across from Lucy but then scooted over more when Laxus waved him off to take that seat. The guy was acting like such a dick. He hadn't been this bad since before being expelled from Fairy Tail.

Lucy waited while everyone stored their belongings in the overhead bin before answering. She was lucky she didn't have anything to store since Virgo held onto hers. Sprinting to the train station with luggage would not have been easy. When the mayhem died down in the private car, Lucy finally said, "When I told him about a celestial beast tearing up the forest, he thought I planned to bring it back with me. Poor little guy cried for at least ten minutes."

Laxus tuned out their conversation when Bickslow started going on about how his babies did the same thing each time they thought he'd be collecting a new soul. The topic wasn't interesting enough to hold his attention. He was more concerned about the way Natsu sat down close enough to Lucy that their thighs were touching. How close were those two, exactly? He could tell they weren't sleeping together but were they headed that way?

He thought he was doing a good job of covering his building frustration by acting casually but it didn't go unnoticed. It was easy for the Natsu to pick up on the other slayer's darkening mood by the change in his scent, but what he didn't understand was why Laxus was so pissed off. The guy had been pissy all morning and was only getting worse. It wasn't until Gray sat down on Lucy's other side and Laxus let out a quiet growl that Natsu figured it out. Glancing over at Gray and seeing the guy unfazed confirmed Natsu's hunch that the growl was too low for anyone else to hear. So Laxus was into Luce but trying to keep it under wraps? A devious grin formed on Natsu's face when he realized the possibilities of this situation. He might be able to get Laxus angry enough to finally fight him. He'd been itching for a one on one rematch with the lightning slayer since their battle at Kardia Cathedral. This might be exactly what he needed to make that happen.

When a voice over the intercom announced the train would be departing shortly, Natsu looked at Lucy with a pitiful expression and whined, "Luce, you mind if I lay in your lap? We'll be stuck in this moving box of death for six hours and I don't know if I can make it without hurling."

With a bright smile, Lucy patted her legs as she said, "Sure, Natsu. I'm glad you asked this time instead of just flopping down on top of me."

Natsu thanked her and scooted away enough to lay along the bench with his head in Lucy's lap. When his face was finally resting against her bare thighs, he made sure to make eye with Laxus before rolling over and burying his face in Lucy's stomach. Natsu's voice was muffled by her torso when he said, "You mind if I lay this way? It's a lot more comfortable."

Lucy shrugged and started raking her fingers through her partner's hair when the train started moving. She knew the relaxing distraction was usually enough to calm his stomach.

Laxus watched in envy as Natus got comfortable. The train's movement had made the nausea kick in for both slayers, but only the fire breathing idiot found any relief. Such bullshit. It wasn't like Laxus would actually go as far as to lie in Lucy's lap even if she offered, he wasn't a pussy like that and could handle his queasy stomach on his own, but it was the principle. Lucy had said 'this time', meaning today wasn't the first time Natsu laid all over her like this. Why the hell did everyone get to touch her except him?

Stupid Bickslow wasn't helping anything with the way he was giggling under his breath. Laxus knew the other man had figured out why he was so annoyed and was probably enjoying every second of his misery. He let his head fall back against the wall behind him and focused on tuning out the chatter around him. Ever and Erza's conversation about fashion was annoying. Why couldn't they just read like Freed or stare out the window like Gray? At least the damn blue cat hadn't come along.

Laxus focused on breathing deeply to keep his breakfast down while he thought about how to approach this thing with Lucy. He had to turn it around and make her see he was much more than she believed, though, admittedly, he didn't really know what she thought about him. Her opinion must not be a very high one with the way she blew him off so casually.

The job they were on would probably require some fighting, so maybe he'd get a chance to show off his skills. Thinking back over the last few years since she joined the guild, he couldn't think of a time when she would have actually seen him fight with her own two eyes. She's bound to know he's powerful, all the dragon slayers are, but when would she have seen evidence of that firsthand? Everything she knew would be hearsay. No one had seen his fight with Raven Tail during the GMG. She wasn't anywhere near him on Tenrou Island when they fought off Grimoire Heart. Was she even around when he fought Natsu and Gajeel during the Fantasia shit? He couldn't remember, but he was pretty sure she hadn't seen that either. Maybe that was part of the problem. Maybe she thought he was all talk.

Now that he'd sorted out part of the problem in his mind, he tried to focus on relaxing enough to sleep through the rest of the train ride. A quick peek around told him the only other people awake were Freed and Erza. Everyone else was trying to sleep sitting up while slouched in an odd position. All with the exception of fucking Natsu, but Laxus wouldn't let himself get worked up over that again. If things went his way, the idiot wouldn't be all over Lucy on their way back. Glancing at Lucy, he was reminded of how beautiful she was, even if she was snoring a little with the way her head was falling backwards and leaning slightly to the side.

After an eternal six hours, the large group departed the train at the last stop on the line and check into an inn. There were only two rooms available, so each team was stuck bunking in its own room. Laxus had surprised everyone but Natsu and Bickslow by suggesting the group go out for dinner together. Those two knew Laxus didn't have the most innocent of intentions by making the suggestion, but neither chose to bring it up. They just planned to use the opportunity to work on ruining his chances of stealing away their favorite blonde.

Both men wanted to ruin his plans for different reasons, though neither was driven by a romantic interest in Lucy. Natsu just didn't want to lose his partner, simple as that. Being a dragon slayer, Natsu knew how possessive Laxus would become because he was feeling some of that possessiveness himself. He and Lucy had known each other first and she had chosen him as her partner, not Laxus. No one was taking his place. They had a good thing going together. If Laxus were to start dating Lucy, everything would change. Laxus would hog up all Lucy's time and she would stop doing things like cooking for Natsu or letting him sneak into her bed at night.

Bickslow was mostly in it for the entertainment value but also didn't really want to see them get together. He knew firsthand what kind of guy Laxus was and didn't think he'd be good for Cosplayer, unless he wanted something serious with her. No matter how much Lucy joked about it, she really wasn't into one night stands or casual relationships. Her heart got wrapped up in things too easily and she always ended up hurt. Until Laxus made it clear that Lucy would be more than just another notch on his bedpost, Bickslow would continue to get between them.

The two teams found themselves in a casual diner about an hour before it closed. After ordering nearly everything on the menu, they all chatted aimlessly while waiting for the large order to come out. Much to Laxus' frustration, he hadn't been able to sit close enough to Lucy to be part of any conversations with her. Fucking Bickslow and Natsu were on either side of her, all three of them squished into a two person booth, with Gray and Erza facing them. Evergreen had pulled up a chair to sit at the end of their table to continue she and Erza's earlier conversation of fashionable swimwear, leaving Laxus and his loyal follower, Freed, alone at the booth behind Gray and Erza.

Freed's concern for his team leader was growing as the night wore on. Something was bothering the man, but he had yet to give any indication as to what it was. Hoping it wasn't a mistake to do so, Freed asked quietly, "Laxus, is everything alright?"

With his back to the other mages, Laxus didn't notice Gray turn his head slightly to the side to better hear the dragon slayer's answer. He may not have senses like theirs, but Gray paid attention to everything and knew something was up with Laxus. He'd already figured out it had something to do with one of his teammates, he just wasn't sure which one had gained the man's focus.

"Yeah, I'm good." Two waitresses walked out at just that moment with trays full of food, preventing Laxus from having to say anything more on the subject. Or so he thought. As soon as the women returned to the kitchen, Freed pressed on, "Are you sure? I would hate to take a mission fighting off a dangerous beast with you distracted."

"Yes, I'm sure. It's nothing that will get in the way of the completing the mission." Laxus huffed in irritation. He had no idea just how wrong he was.

Picking up on his friend and idol's unwillingness to speak on the subject, Freed let it go. He would just have to keep an eye on this to make sure it didn't get any worse.

Their dinner passed and the group returned to the inn without Laxus making any headway on his plans to find a reason to talk to Lucy. They'd be traveling by foot all day tomorrow, so maybe he'd get a chance then.

Unfortunately for Laxus, he discovered Lucy's favorite mode of transportation when her group traveled by foot was to ride along in a floating clock. There was no way he was talking to her through the clock thing when it announced everything she said loud enough for everyone to hear. It wasn't like he planned to talk about anything private, he really wasn't sure what he wanted to talk about at all, but he didn't want anyone else joining in.

As the day passed without any progress made, Laxus took out his frustrations on any vegetation or wildlife that blocked their path. The only highlight of his day was how impressed Lucy was that he managed to kill a couple of rabbits by shocking them without damaging the surrounding area. Her comment of "Natsu would have killed everything nearby just to get to the rabbits" had him smirking at the smaller man. Though, Freed's over exaggerated praise ruined the moment.

When the group neared the area of forest outside Shirutsome that would soon become a mountainside, they set up camp for the night. It was then that Laxus finally found his opening to talk to Lucy. She volunteered to skin and clean the rabbits because nothing would be left to cook if she let any of her teammates do it. Erza would hack the animals to pieces, Natsu would burn them to ash and Gray would try to freeze the skin off after becoming frustrated with the knife. Coincidentally, Laxus was also his team's designated game preparer. The others were too squeamish. So, he volunteered to go with Lucy to help.

As the two blondes made their way through the forest far enough from the camp to prevent attracting predators, Laxus found himself completely at a loss for words. He wasn't very good at talking to people, much less women who had inadvertently turned him down. It was new territory for him, making it more difficult than usual to find something to talk about.

When they found a small stream, they agreed it would be the best place to complete their task. Laxus jumped right into his half of the work, still trying to figure out how to talk to the blonde woman. Distracted by his thoughts, he didn't notice the look of awe on Lucy's face when he skinned his rabbit in less than a minute. He'd done it enough times that he had it down to an art. It was only after he'd pulled the hide loose that he looked up to see her staring at him with her own rabbit hanging limply from her hand. "How'd you do that so fast? It takes me forever and I always end up hacking away at the skin until it all comes loose."

Gesturing for the rabbit, he said, "Here, I'll show you."

After handing it over, Lucy stepped closer, completely unaware of Laxus' internal celebration over the situation, and watched closely as he made a few quick slices then pulled the hide away in one quick tug. "Wow. That's really impressive."

Smiling brightly at the genuine compliment, Laxus handed the rabbit back and said, "It's really not that hard. I can show you how to finish cleaning it in one quick slice, if you want."

"That sounds great!"

Laxus was shocked that of all things to break the ice between them, it would be the disgusting job of cleaning an animal to be eaten. Teaching Lucy and providing for her, sort of, had his inner dragon purring in delight. Though he never would have expected it to happen this way, the easy conversation flowing between them as they knelt next to the stream was exactly what he'd been hoping for. When they walked back to the two teams' campsite, they were still talking about different ways to prepare rabbit stew. He stuck to his argument that summoning her spirit for the cooking supplies and missing ingredients was taking the easy way out, but he couldn't deny the simple genius of the plan.

The blondes continued their friendly debate over the best method of preparing the stew as Virgo came and left, then as they worked together to start cooking over the fire. Neither noticed the stares they were receiving from three males in the group. Gray walked over to sit next to Natsu and nodded towards the pair cooking as he said, "You seein what I'm seein?"

Natsu nodded with his eyes narrowed, possessive jealousy blooming in his chest. "Yeah and I'm not likin it."

Having overheard the brief exchange, Bickslow felt fairly confident he wouldn't have to put much effort into keeping Lucy away from Laxus. Her teammates would do that part for him. He could just sit back and enjoy the show.

Morning came around quickly and the group set off again to hunt down the beast described in the job request. With two dragon slayers around to do the tracking, the rest of the mages were able to just follow along as the slayers did their thing. Still feeling a sense of accomplishment over the prior night's progress, even if all they did was argue over how to prepare a meal, Laxus was uncharacteristically carefree over his tracking duties. He didn't even care the women of the group were being a little too noisy with their spa day planning. The beast they were tracking had a unique scent, so it was easy enough to single it out from the usual scents associated with a forest.

After walking for about an hour along the scent trail, the beast's smell became more pronounced. They were closing in on it. Noticing a clearing up ahead that looked worn in, Laxus nodded his head in that direction, pointing it out to Natsu. The pink haired man said, "We're getting close."

Sudden noise behind the group made the mages turn around just in time to see a massive creature charging through the forest. It looked vaguely familiar with its round head, cone-like nose and stumpy arms, but it was much taller than any monster the group had seen. It stood nearly twice as tall as any man with short, light blue fur covering its body and dark, scale shaped markings running along its arms. A loud cry left the beast's mouth just before it lunged straight for the blonde Celestial Mage.

Eyes wide in recognition, Lucy stood frozen in her spot while the creature ran towards her. The keening sound coming from the big guy broke the blonde's heart. Though she'd never encountered this creature, she was fairly certain she knew how to take care of the problem. Just as she reached for her key ring, she was shoved to the ground out its path.

Laxus' movement as he rushed to Lucy's side seemed to spur the rest of the group on. They all moved into defensive positions, attacking the beast to keep it from moving in on Lucy. Laxus couldn't believe she'd just stand there while it charged her, but thought maybe she was frozen in fear.

The entire group focused on defending the blonde when it became clear the creature wanted her. Its big, beady eyes rarely left Lucy, who was stuck behind the group and shouting at them not to hurt it. Batting with its short arms and using its cone-like nose to stab at the mages, the creature was able to inch closer and closer to its target. With fat tears rolling down the giant's cheeks, the group's attacks were mostly weak, defensive moves. No one wanted to really hurt the pitiful looking creature.

Noticing the blue giant was closing in on his little sister, Gray turned the ground to ice and created an ice hammer in case it got any closer. With its next step, the creature slipped on the ice and nearly crushed Natsu when it fell on its side. As he jumped out of the way, Natsu shouted, "What the hell, Ice Princess?! You tryna kill me?!"

"No, you idiot. I'm trying to save Lucy!" Gray shouted at Natsu while ignoring Lucy's screeching from behind the rune barrier Freed trapped her in.

While swinging a sword to keep the beast from charging again when it stood to its feet, Erza shouted, "Focus on the fight!"

Laxus directed his team to move into position so they could end this quickly. With Freed's containment runes in place around the monster, Ever and Bickslow took to the air to attack from above while Laxus attacked from the ground. All three attacks unleashed at once, hitting the beast in unison. It cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground where it stopped moving.

Lucy's shouting turned to wails as soon as the blue giant became still. She pounded against the barrier with everything she had, hoping to free herself so she could go to the fallen creature. It didn't take long for her to figure out who the big guy was and, if her teammates had just listened to her, she could have ended this without any fighting. But no one had listened and now there was an innocent, lost creature from the celestial world lying nearly lifeless on the ground.

When Laxus gave his approval, Freed dropped the runes and Lucy ran right to the creature. Lying on its side, Lucy stood about as tall as its head was wide. The blonde knelt down in front of its forehead and began to stroke above its eyes in the same way Plue liked to be rubbed. Sad tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked over his injuries. There were several cuts, burns and bruises all over him from the short battle. "I'm so sorry big guy. They didn't know you weren't trying to hurt me."

"Pun puuun" It whispered as it cracked its eyes open. The familiar way of speaking clued the rest of the mages in on the creature's identity. Guilt wormed its way into their hearts as they watched the blonde comfort it.

"You wanna go home?" Lucy asked as she pulled a key off her ring. When he nodded his big head, Lucy used the key to summon Plue. As soon as he saw his big cousin, the little dog danced around and chattered in delight. The big Plue-lookalike shifted to kneel on the ground and scooped up the smaller dog spirit. Both spirits smiled at each other and carried on a conversation consisting solely of the sound 'pun' in different variations of length and repetition.

A watery smile curved Lucy's lips and her sad tears became happy ones as she listened to the Canis Major and Canis Minor talk to each other. She couldn't understand Plue as well as Natsu but she picked up enough of the conversation to know they'd been separated for a long time. When their chattering died down, Lucy asked Plue, "You think you can show him how to get back home?"

Plue nodded and danced excitedly before the two of them disappeared in a shimmer of sparkles.

When Lucy stood and turned back to face the group of Fairy Tail mages, all traces of her smile were gone. She'd never been so angry at her team. They'd attacked an innocent creature and completely ignored her when she tried to explain he wasn't trying to hurt her. He just wanted to go home. The spirit could tell she was a Celestial Mage and wanted her help. No one listened to her when she tried to explain that to them. Even the entire Thunder God Tribe had ignored her as soon as Laxus attacked. Their team was supposed to be the level-headed one but they'd acted no differently than Team Natsu.

Too angry to even form words for shouting, Lucy turned around and stormed off in the direction they'd come from. They could follow behind or stay there for all she cared. There was no need for her to stay around to explain what just happened. They all knew enough about her magic and spirits to figure it out on their own.

Natsu was the first to break from his guilt-ridden stupor. He took off running as he shouted, "Luce! Wait up!"

Everyone heard her shout, "Leave me alone, Natsu!"

Laxus moved as if to go after her as well but stopped when he felt a hand on his arm. He looked back to see Gray shaking his head before he said, "Let her go. Natsu won't let anything happen to her and she needs some time to cool off." Gray dropped his hand back to his side and added, "If we're lucky, she'll let out all her anger on him before we catch up."

With his enhanced hearing, Laxus could hear Lucy going off on Natsu and was glad for Gray's intervention. If he'd caught up with them, he might have been the one to get Lucy Kicked instead of Natsu. "I hope you're right." The sound of the other dragon slayer's body colliding with a tree spurred Laxus get the group moving.

Gray kept pace with Laxus ahead of everyone as he considered how to approach a subject he wasn't sure he should touch with a ten foot pole. When several minutes passed, he finally decided it'd be best to help the other guy out before he made a bigger mess of things. "She hates being protected and hates being ignored."

"Huh?" Laxus looked at the man next to him, wondering if he'd lost his mind.

"Lucy." Gray said as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "She's going to be pissed at you more than the rest of us since you shoved her out of the way and attacked first."

"Ok? Why the hell are you telling me this?"

Gray shrugged and said, "I'm not blind, man." He walked a few more steps before saying, "This whole thing today will set you back some but it'll be alright if you apologize. Lucy has a big heart and will understand if you explain why you did it."

Laxus didn't say anything, didn't even nod. He just kept walking and thought over what Gray told him. He'd only wanted to keep Lucy safe and hadn't considered she might be the only one equipped to handle the blue giant, even though he'd asked her to come along for that very reason. Simply put, he'd really fucked up today. His head dropped little as he said, "Thanks."

Gray nodded and slowed his pace to fall in step with Erza. He figured Laxus would want some time to think things over. When he'd watched Laxus and Lucy yesterday, he thought it would be bad if they got together, but now he wasn't so sure. Laxus acted protective of Lucy, even if he did it in a way that might ruin his chances with her. Any guy willing to put himself in the path of a raging monster to protect Gray's little sister would get his stamp of approval. Now he just had to help Laxus get back on Lucy's good side.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: It's been too long since this one was updated!** **There are probably 2 more chapters to go until it's finished. I hope you enjoy!**

"Whaddaya think got his panties in a twist?" Bickslow whispered loudly as he slung an arm over Lucy's shoulder and pulled her in close. When she shrugged and hummed in response, he added, "He's probably just overdue for some good pussy."

Obnoxious snickering filled Laxus' ears, making him walk a little faster. The group of mages was finally nearing the train station to make their way back to Magnolia and he couldn't wait to get there. It had been a painfully long three days since Lucy last spoke to him and he had no idea what to do about it. Everyone else seemed to be back in her good graces but Laxus still hadn't made any progress in apologizing. How could he, though, with Bickslow and Natsu constantly taking up all her attention? As soon as her clock spirit disappeared, one of those two idiots would be at her side talking to her about whatever nonsense they could think up. It didn't take Laxus long to figure out they were trying to keep her away from him.

Their interference pissed him off, but he decided not to say anything about it when it became clear that Lucy wasn't trying to get away from them. She seemed content to make the long journey back without speaking a single word to him, so Laxus would let Bickslow and Natsu have their little victory for now. It wasn't like he planned to apologize in front of them, anyway. His pride always took a big hit any time he felt the need to apologize to someone and it wasn't something he wanted those two idiots witnessing. They'd never stop with the jokes.

"Hey, ya feelin' alright?" Gray asked as he caught up to Laxus. It said a lot about the blond's focus that he didn't notice the other man at his side. When he didn't answer right away, Gray added, "The hair on my arms is standing straight up with all the electricity in the air."

With a loud exhale, Laxus focused on reining in his magic. It wouldn't help his cause with Lucy to accidentally shock the woman into a coma. "Yeah, I'm good. Just need to get away from those two fuckers."

Gray looked back to see Bickslow still slung over Lucy's shoulders with her looking up at him smiling at whatever the clown was saying about Natsu, who was a few feet away shooting dart-shaped flames from his mouth at a flock of birds in the sky. It wasn't hard to figure out why Laxus would be so irritated. Gray just hoped the guy could be patient. "It won't be easy, but if you wait it out, Natsu will get bored and find something else to do."

With a nod, Laxus said, "Figured as much but Bickslow's a different story. Once he's focused on something, he won't give it up until he's done with it. Depending on what his goal is, this might not go so well for me."

"Eh, don't worry about it too much, man. Lucy's not the type to hold a grudge. Just apologize once you get the chance and you'll see. It won't really matter what those two are trying to do."

Not willing to say more incase Natsu was listening in, Laxus just nodded with a grunt and walked the rest of the distance to the train station in silence. The group didn't have to wait long until they were allowed to board. Unsurprisingly, they were all in nearly the same positions as the last time with Bickslow next to Laxus, probably trying to run interference if the blond man tried talking to Lucy, and Natsu curled up in her lap while everyone else spread out to talk or sleep.

Laxus leaned his head back against the wall to avoid watching the pink haired idiot get comfortable, although he couldn't block out the exaggerated groans of pleasure coming from Natsu when Lucy started stroking his scalp. Whatever. He'd just use the last of his self control to hold out until the train started moving and the idiot passed out.

Just as expected, seconds after the train lurched into motion, Natsu was unconscious. What Laxus didn't expect was the small smile Lucy gave him when he opened his eyes. It was the first time she'd made any sort of attempt to communicate with him since they left the job site. He couldn't stop himself from smiling back, even if it quickly turned into a grimace when the train car jolted a bit.

Laxus could feel Bickslow building up to do something ridiculous after witnessing the small exchange, but Laxus was surprised again. Before Bickslow could say anything stupid, Lucy asked, "Hey, Bixy? You mind going up front to get me a snack? Natsu ate the last of mine on the way here and I'm starving."

Hopping up from his seat, the blue haired man said, "Sure. Anything for my favorite Cosplayer." Chuckling at her dramatic eye roll, Bickslow kissed her forehead before leaving the train car.

As soon as the door slid shut, Lucy huffed, "Finally. I thought they'd never leave me alone."

Unable to do much speaking, Laxus settled for raising an eyebrow in question. Understanding, Lucy flicked Natsu's ear as she said, "These two have been attached to my hip for the last three days. The only peace I've gotten is when I'm riding in Horologium."

A small snort of air was the only answer Laxus could give but Lucy was pretty sure that meant he'd noticed, too. Feeling pretty sure he was paying attention even though his eyes were closed, Lucy looked around to make sure no one else was listening in on their conversation before she went on. "I wanted to apologize for the way I acted."

That got Laxus fully focused on Lucy. He even lifted his head up and ignored the way his stomach threatened to empty so he could answer. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

Lucy shrugged and looked down to hide her embarrassment, twirling a bit of Natsu's dirty hair in her fingers to distract herself. "I was kind of a bitch after Plu and Canis Major went back to the Celestial Realm. I apologized to everyone else but hadn't gotten a chance to talk to you yet. I know you were just trying to look out for everyone's safety and didn't understand he wasn't really a monster."

Laxus was speechless and this time not because of his motion sickness. She felt like she needed to apologize to him? He'd completely overreacted and not listened to her at all, even knowing Celestial Spirits were her specialty. With a deep breath to calm him stomach, he did his best to quickly say, "You don't need to apologize. I was the asshole."

Before he could say more, his face turned a light shade of green, forcing him to let his head fall back against the wall again with his eyes closed. A light thump and the weight of someone settling next to him meant Bickslow was probably back, so he'd have to finish apologizing later. At least he knew Lucy wasn't mad at him anymore.

A light touch on his forearm made Laxus crack one eye open to see why Bickslow would be touching him, but he was surprised to see Lucy sitting next to him. When he motioned over to Natsu with his eyes, Lucy just shrugged and said, "He'll be out for awhile and you look like you could use some help."

Laxus was glad Lucy could read his facial expressions so well when she immediately answered his look of skepticism. "You don't have to lay all over me like he does. Here, just do this."

Lucy leaned her head against Laxus shoulder and pulled his head down to rest against hers. While he got comfortable, she uncrossed his arms and pulled the closest one into her lap. She tucked her trapped arm beneath his and curled that hand around his bicep while her other hand stroked up and down his forearm. Her gentle touch and the scent of her hair immediately calmed the nausea churning in his gut, making him sigh in relief. The pain wasn't gone completely but it was much more bearable. "See, that's better, right?"

He only hummed in response and closed his eyes to fully enjoy the moment of peace. Laxus was so relaxed that he easily ignored Bickslow's return and exclamation of 'what the fuck' when he noticed the position the two blonds were in. He was even able to ignore the way Bickslow reclaimed his seat by squeezing in next to Lucy and smirked at the way she shushed the blue haired man before saying, "Be quiet. He's sleeping."

The hours until the train reached Magnolia were the best six hours Laxus had experience all week. When Natsu finally woke up and begged Lucy to come back to his side of the train car, Erza stepped in saying she would 'assist Natsu in his time of need'. Ignoring Natsu's pleas for mercy, the warrior woman hit him hard enough to knock him out and returned to her seat next to Evergreen. The rest of the ride passed with quiet conversation between all the conscious mages, except Laxus.

When the group stepped out of the train, there was a quick debate about who would be stuck giving the mission report while everyone else went home. Laxus volunteered, feeling responsible as the leader of the group, and Lucy offered to go with him so she could give details about the spirit they'd found. As the pair walked away, no one seemed to notice or care about the way the two seemed closer than before, except Bickslow and Natsu. But they weren't going to let it go. They'd put too much effort into keeping them apart to have it all ruined so easily.

Gray could feel the heat rising from Natsu's irritation and did his best to intervene before the dragon slayer did something stupid. Gray roughly bumped Natsu with his shoulder as he said, "Come on, loser. Let's get out of here before Juvia notices we're back."

Effectively distracted, Natsu whipped his head to face Gray and shouted, "Who you callin' a loser, Ice Prick?"

Bickslow shook his head and started off towards his apartment. He didn't want to be nearby when those two got into one of their brawls or when Erza decided to break it up. Plus, he needed some time to think. How much effort did he want to put into keeping Laxus and Lucy apart? His intention had been to protect Lucy from being Laxus' next fling, but Laxus wasn't treating her like he did most women. Bickslow had never seen him have a casual conversation with a woman beyond flirting that would lead to a bed or back alley. Could Laxus really want a relationship with Cosplayer? Bickslow wasn't sure what he thought anymore. If they were headed towards being together, he wouldn't intentionally ruin his friends' chance at having a good thing.

As Laxus and Lucy took their time walking to the guild, Laxus realized how much he really liked spending time with her. It was a surprising relief that she was a member of Fairy Tail. He never expected to have a relationship with someone from the guild, but it meant she didn't have tons of useless questions like a lot of his fan girls. Having Natsu as a partner meant she also had a lot of knowledge about dragon slayers, so she didn't ask those annoying questions, either. They were able to just talk about whatever came to mind.

"So what will happen to the big, blue snowman now?" Laxus asked curiously. Lucy hadn't gotten another key as far as he could tell, so he had no idea what would happen to the spirit.

"He'll just hang out in the Celestial Realm with the other spirits. He doesn't have a summoning key, so he probably won't be back in Earthland again. That reminds me, I need to find out how he got here in the first place. It wouldn't be good if the spirits without summoning keys started appearing."

"Are there a lot of them?" Laxus didn't even know there were more spirits than he'd seen Lucy and the other Celestial Mage summon at the games. It now seemed a little naive of him to assume he knew anything about it.

"Tons! There's an entire population in the Celestial Realm no one knows about." Lucy's whole face lit up as she went into detail about the spirits she'd met while in the other realm and ones she'd only heard about. Her words started coming out faster as she spoke, giving away how excited she was about the subject. Laxus absently wondered if no one ever asked about it with the way she was suddenly so animated.

When they walked through the guild's doors, Lucy was still talking about her spirit friends with Laxus only occasionally asking a question. He wasn't much for talking, so didn't mind her filling up the conversation. Focusing on her words also made it easier for Laxus to ignore the whispers about the two of them walking together. If their guildmates were this bad, he needed to mentally prepare himself for facing his gramps with an attractive woman at his side. Maybe he would have been better off giving the report on his own.

"My boy! I'm surprised to see you back already!" Makarov shouted while glancing between the two blonds in what he thought was a discreet manner.

Laxus closed the door once Lucy was inside as he answered, "It didn't take long to take care of the problem once we made it into the forest. Lucy can explain most of that."

While Lucy gave a very watered down version of the events that took place on the job, Laxus couldn't help but admire her. She spoke eloquently and clearly, including details Laxus hadn't been aware of that led her to the conclusion the giant monster was actually a stranded spirit from the Celestial Realm. It was clear there was much more to her than just a beautiful face and body he'd always noticed, but he'd never taken the time to really get to know her before. Lucy was smart, maybe even as smart as Freed, and had such a caring heart. The way her eyes danced with excitement as she went into detail about the spirit's interaction with her spirit, Plu, made Laxus heart do a little flip. As soon as he realized he'd been staring, Laxus averted his gaze to the other side of the room, but it was too late. He'd been caught by his grandfather. The old man would never let this go.

"Sounds like Laxus made the right choice in bringing you along, dear. I'm glad to hear Canis Major made it home safely and peacefully." Master Makarov sounded proud of the group as he spoke, but Laxus wondered how differently he would have sounded if Lucy told the entire truth about their attempt to fight the spirit.

Just as they were about to say their goodbyes, Master shot Laxus a glance that could only mean trouble as he said, "If you two have the time, can you help an old man out? I have an order of office supplies ready for pick up at the store. I'd get it myself, but these old knees aren't what they used to be."

Laxus rolled his eyes but Lucy smiled brightly before saying, "Sure! I don't mind at all. Do you, Laxus?"

He looked away from her bright smile and started walking towards the door to avoid showing how much it flustered him when she looked at him that way. "Let's get it over with now so we can get back to the guild before Mira runs out of the roasted meat I can smell cooking."

It didn't take long for them to make it outside and away from the guild. They walked a few blocks in silence before Laxus finally asked the question plaguing his mind. "Why didn't you tell gramps about us attacking the spirit?"

Lucy shrugged saying, "Didn't really seem important." Laxus could tell she wasn't done talking, so he waited. A few steps later, Lucy added, "I was pretty pissed at first and probably would have told Master everything out of spite if we'd gotten back the same day, but telling him really wouldn't change anything. Everything worked out in the end and you guys were only doing what you thought was best."

Laxus nodded and eventually said, "Thanks. I don't want gramps to think my team is like we used to be."

He was surprised to feel a light touch on his upper arm and turned to look over at Lucy. She stopped walking and waited until he was facing her to say, "Laxus, no one thinks your team is the way it used to be. Everyone can tell you're all different now."

The genuine look of acceptance in her big, brown eyes took his breath away. No one had ever acknowledged the way his team changed. Yeah, everyone accepted them in the guild and didn't talk about the past anymore, but it was totally different to hear that forgiveness out loud. He couldn't find the right words to express how much he appreciated her or how much he was starting to care for her. Laxus knew he wasn't always the best with communication, so he hoped whatever was about to come out of his mouth would be enough.

"Lucy, I-" Before Laxus could get any further, an annoying voice cut him off.

"Luce! Hey! I finally found you!" The moment was completely ruined when the pair turned to see Natsu running down the street towards them. He didn't even acknowledge Laxus as he ran straight into Lucy, wrapping his arms around her and spinning her around in a hug.

"Natsu!" Lucy shrieked, "Put me down! You're squeezing the life out of me."

With a huge grin on his face, Natsu put Lucy down and patted her head as he said, "Sorry, sorry. I've been looking all over for you. You just abandoned me to deal with the Ice Princess and Erza all by myself while you ran off with the Lightning Rod."

"Seriously, Natsu?" Lucy huffed with one hand resting on a cocked hip. "We told everyone we were heading to the guild to report to Master."

"Well, what are ya doin' all the way over here? The guild is that way." Natsu said while pointing in the direction they'd just come from.

Before Lucy could say anything else, Laxus cut in, "We were already there and now we're doing something for gramps." He put a hand on Lucy's shoulder, hoping to get her moving in the right direction again and away from her annoying partner.

"I'll help, too!" Natsu exclaimed while slinging an arm over Lucy's shoulder, successfully swatting Laxus' hand away. Oblivious to the two males' interaction, Lucy just rolled her eyes and started walking as she said, "Alright. We might need the extra hands to carry stuff back."

Laxus swallowed down his frustration and put a damper on the urge to shock Natsu until he couldn't walk. He knew it wouldn't get him anywhere with Lucy to treat her best friend that way, even if the guy deserved it. There was no way Natsu didn't know what he was doing, especially with the way he was staring at Laxus over the top of Lucy's head with his eyes narrowed and an annoying smirk on his face. Laxus would just have to bide his time until the guy found something else that interested him.

To make matters worse, the errand gramps sent them on was definitely just a ruse to keep Laxus and Lucy together for awhile longer. There's no way the old man thought Laxus would need help carrying a box of printer paper and a bag of pens.

 **Leave a review and let me know what you think!** **Reviews are great motivation**


	5. Chapter 5

Was it possible to die from anxiety? To just crumple to the ground in a nervous, twitching heap that would eventually melt into the earth? Based on the way he felt at that moment, he was pretty sure it was possible and would likely happen to him in the next few seconds. Why did he let his desperate mind talk him into knocking on her door? He was Laxus Dreyar. He didn't ask women on dates. He didn't seek them out. They came to him and he got what he wanted then never saw them again. This just wasn't how he did things.

He expected her to seek him out after the night he'd gone with the group of guildmates to a club she and Bickslow liked, but it hadn't happened. The interest seemed mutual, as far as he could tell, but she never acted on it. They had finally gotten a chance to talk that night without interruption since Bickslow was occupied with Cana and Natsu was out somewhere with Happy. If he hadn't already been interested in Lucy beyond just her looks, that night would have done it for him. She was easy to get along with and not at all annoying like most women encountered. Somehow, she'd even gotten him talking about architecture, one of his secret interests, and had enough basic knowledge on the subject to keep up with the conversation. She hadn't even danced with any of the men that approached her, keeping her fun limited to only the females in their group. Laxus had taken that as a good sign, but now he wondered if it was just normal behavior for her.

After that night, Laxus caught himself thinking about the petite blonde woman more often than he had before. His thoughts weren't only centered on how she looked anymore, either. He found himself wondering how she was doing and finding excuses to talk to her when they were both in the guildhall. Instead of passively listening when she was at his team's table, he would participate in conversations with her. Well, as much as could be expected of a man that wasn't one for idle chit chat.

As the days passed and their conversations became more frequent, he no longer had the problem of needing an excuse to see her. Now he just had to figure out how to get her to think of him as more than a friend and not only someone to pass the time with between job requests.

Just as he had talked himself out of his ridiculous idea to simply knock on Lucy's door and ask her to go on a date with him, she opened the door. What terrible luck he had. Now he was halfway turned around, looking like a lost idiot and even less sure of what to say while she was staring at him with a look of surprised confusion.

After an awkward moment of silence, Lucy said, "Hey, Laxus. Did you need something?"

Doing his best to maintain his usual level of cool while mentally scrambling for an answer, he blurted, "Yeah, Gramps wanted me to talk to you about something."

He could've beaten his head against the wall for that one. Using Gramps? That was the best he could do? Guilt added into the swarm of nerves he felt when he noticed Lucy's worried look. Not the best way to start a conversation about going on a date.

Lucy stepped back and opened the door further. "Oh, I hope it's nothing too bad. Why don't you come in so we can talk?" Laxus' momentary victory was crushed as soon as he walked inside her small apartment. Why the hell was Bickslow there, slung over Lucy's couch like he belonged on it? Did he belong on it? Had the two of them moved from playful flirting to something more serious? The anxiety that had ebbed was back in full force, but now it was paired with frustration. He just couldn't make any progress with Lucy. Maybe all the road blocks were cosmic signs that his interest in her had no future.

"Sorry, I didn't know you had company. It can wait." Laxus said to Lucy as he began backtracking to the door. Before she could respond, Bickslow cut in with a devious smirk on his face, "Don't leave on my account, Boss Man. You can pass along the old man's message with me here. There are no secrets between me and my best buddy, Cosplayer."

With a shrug, Lucy agreed, "It's fine with me."

Laxus glared at his teammate. He and Bickslow had known each other more years than they hadn't, so he was sure Bickslow knew he was lying about why he was there. Now Laxus was stuck. Could he really admit he did not have a message from Gramps in front of Bickslow? The answer was a definite no. Maybe if it were just Lucy he could since the end result would be him asking her out on a date, but he couldn't do that in front of Bickslow. The loud mouth would tell the whole team and he'd never hear the end of it.

Bickslow really had no intention of staying and witnessing what he was sure would be his oldest friend stumbling through confessing his interest in Lucy, but he also had no intention of passing up a perfectly good opportunity to mess with Laxus. He just wanted to watch the big guy squirm.

Clearing his throat uncomfortably, Laxus did his best to come up with something. He shot one more glare at Bickslow before glancing over at Lucy. "Well, uh, you see… Um, gramps sent me here to say…"

Loud, obnoxious laughter coming from Bickslow cut off Laxus' babbling. Bickslow was hunched over clutching his stomach and slapping his knee. Once he had his laughter under control he said, "I'm just fuckin' with you, man." As he walked past Lucy, Bickslow kissed her on the cheek, knowing it was probably the last time he'd be able to without receiving death threats from his possessive friend. "I'm heading out. I'll see you around Cosplayer."

Lucy watched the confusing exchange knowing something was going on between the two men but not sure what it was. She had actually been hoping Bickslow would stay since he'd promised to give her a pedicure. It had been awhile since she'd gotten one. The last one she had was done by Erza, who insisted trimming Lucy's toenails with a dagger the length of her forearm would have the best results. Her toenails looked great in the end, but it was a terrifying experience she hoped to avoid ever enduring again.

The look of disappointment on Lucy's face as she watched Bickslow leave was not at all encouraging. Laxus was fairly certain he'd get turned down if he went ahead with asking her out. What was he going to do now? He fucked up by getting Lucy worried she was receiving bad news from Gramps and was now stuck with that lie if he didn't want to embarrass himself with the truth.

"So, you and Bicks, huh?" Laxus didn't know what possessed him to ask but he had to know. He would hate watching the two of them in a relationship he wished was his own, but he would do it if it made them happy. No matter how it looked to outsiders, he really did care about his friends. He hadn't realized it until that moment, but Lucy had somehow become one of the few people he considered a friend.

Lucy made a noncommittal noise and shrugged as she turned her attention to Laxus, not realizing what he'd asked or how her nonverbal response only worsened Laxus' spiraling mood. "So, what did Master send you over for? Is it about Team Natsu's last job? Because I swear none of us meant to flood that field. I'm pretty sure that dam would have given out without us there. Well, Natsu and Gray's fight might've helped it along, but the thing was already in bad shape."

Seeing an easy way out, Laxus nodded once and said, "That's all I needed to know. Just had to get your side of it for the paperwork." Wrapped up in his thoughts, Laxus didn't even register the confession Lucy made about her team's reckless, but expected, actions.

Bickslow's behavior made sense now. No wonder he laughed and left. It wasn't in Bickslow's nature to get jealous. He probably knew he had a secure thing with Lucy and left Laxus alone with her just to get a good laugh at Laxus' failed attempt to get a date with the beautiful woman. Bicks was just an asshole like that sometimes.

Determined to leave without making a bigger fool of himself, Laxus didn't notice the way Lucy started nervously chewing on her lip while staring at him. Not five minutes before Laxus knocked on her door she had been telling Bickslow about her growing interest in the Dragon Slayer and asking his advice on the matter. Even with Bixy's reassurance, she still wasn't sure Laxus was really into her that way. It's not like he ever made a move on her. Why would he, anyway? He could get all the women he wanted without being tied down. But still, Bickslow was sure the feeling was mutual.

Just as he reached the door, Lucy said, "Um, Laxus?"

"Yeah?" He looked over his shoulder to see Lucy looking down, nervously toeing at the rug and biting her lip. The sight was unnervingly appealing. He needed to get out of there before he did something he'd regret with his friend's woman.

"Well, I was thinking maybe you and I could go out for dinner sometime." She said looking up at him through her thick lashes.

The confused look on Laxus' face had Lucy's heart plummeting. She knew Bickslow was wrong! And now she felt stupid! Bickslow was going to pay for this one.

Laxus was confused to say the least. It sounded like Lucy had just asked him out on a date but why would she do that if she and Bickslow were together? Maybe his own feelings were misleading him and she didn't mean it in that way. He played off his disappointment with nonchalance. "I've got as much an appetite as any Dragon Slayer but I don't think Bicks would appreciate us going out together. Gives the wrong idea, if you know what I mean."

"Huh?" Lucy's entire face scrunched in confusion. "Why would he care? He's the one that told me to ask you."

Now Laxus was really confused. Either Lucy and Bickslow were into some really freaky stuff (not that it would surprise him with Bicks but Lucy didn't seem to swing that way) or he had missed something vital in the conversation. "He'd probably care because he's your boyfriend."

Hysterical laughter was not at all the response he expected, especially since it was the second time he'd gotten that reaction from someone in the last few minutes. For a guy that didn't crack many jokes, it was a rare occurrence.

"Me and Bixy? Oh God that's a good one!" Lucy laughed long enough to make Laxus uncomfortable, and then added, "That would never happen. We almost went down that road once but it just wasn't for us. We're better off as friends. He's actually been trying to get me to ask you to go on a date for a few days now."

"Oh" was the most eloquent response Laxus could come up with. So, all the time he spent working himself up to coming over to her apartment this morning, then all the nervous energy wasted outside her door, and now the entire embarrassing situation – It was all unnecessary because she ended up asking him on a date? What. The. Fuck. Stupid Bickslow knew the whole and just let him make a fool of himself. Next time Laxus saw Bickslow, the asshole would have so much lightning coursing through his veins – Laxus wasn't even sure how to finish that thought. The whole situation had thrown him for a loop and his brain just wasn't functioning properly.

"Well, alright then." Laxus tried again. "When do you want to go out?"

"We could go now, if you want. It's a little early for dinner but we could beat the crowds."

The way Lucy's face lit up when she smiled at him made Laxus heart flutter a little too rapidly. He was glad she wasn't a dragon slayer because she definitely would have heard it.

Avoiding crowds was always a plus for Laxus, so he agreed and the pair left for their first date. He absently thought he may need to get checked for a heart condition because it skipped a beat again when Lucy shyly looked at him and then reached for his hand while they walked to the café she'd chosen.

At some point while they were out, Laxus realized this was his first proper date. He couldn't really consider his previous interactions with women to be dates. There was no purpose to those encounters beyond getting them naked, or at least disrobed enough to get his dick where it wanted to be.

When he confessed as much to Lucy, she just laughed lightly and teased, "Do you need some dating advice from someone with a little more experience?"

He smiled at her and played along. "Yeah, I need to know how to get the woman of my dreams to go on a second date with me." He felt foolish saying something so ridiculous, but the blush and giggle he got from Lucy was worth it.

"You're a natural with the ladies. I'm sure she'll say yes if you just ask her nicely."

Later that evening when he stood on her doorstep, he asked her as nicely as he could if she would like to go out with him again. She said yes, and even kissed him goodnight.

 **The end, for now.**

 **I may add more chapters as ideas come to mind, but I felt like this was a good spot to end what started out as a funny, short oneshot.**

 **Leave a review and thanks for reading!**


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